O controle da hipertensão como aprimoramento da saúde no bairro de Santa Rosa em Itajubá/MG

Abstract

This paper proposes a primary public health intervention at the Family Health Program (PSF) in the district of Santa Rosa, Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brasil; the key theme for this intervention being high blood pressure and its predisposing risk factors and aggregated pathologies. The focus is on early intervention as to prevent and control hypertension through an educational process addressing both the early diagnosis, information on symptoms of aggregated diseases and its controllable risk factors inclusive diet and exercise as to avoid the debilitating results of the disease such as cerebral vascular isquemia or stroke. The end result shall be the improvement of individual (and family) quality of life through an early diagnosis, prevention by controlling risk factors, and blood pressure. A secondary aim is reducing referrals to specialized centers on an emergency basis. The bibliographical review included descriptors such as "hypertension", "hypertension prevention", "family health strategy", "early intervention", "health education", "behavioristic intervention". The search engines used where SciELO, the Virtual Library of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), articles of the Brazilian Societies of Hypertension and Cardiology, the Brazilian Ministry of Health website, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) website, local and national news, the local council websites (Itajubá) and personal information from our local health agents and nurses on the subject. The inclusion criteria are articles published from 1990 to 2015. The conclusion indicates that the approach for controlling hypertension and its risk factors must involve projects that understand the local culture; they must target the community and their families, especially the ones at risk. The emphasis must be education for a change of habits. There is need for an intersectorial approach integrating the health team, society and governmental sectors.